BACKGROUND: Biomarkers such as serum lactate, anion gap (AG), and base excess (BE) have been shown to be of use in determining shock in patients with seemingly normal vital signs. We seek to determine if these biomarkers can be used interchangeably in patients with trauma in the emergency setting based on their test characteristics and correlation to each other. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study was undertaken at an urban level 1 trauma center. Baseline vital signs, point-of-care BE, AG, and serum lactate were recorded in all patients who presented for trauma...

INTRODUCTION: There has been an increase in patients having serum lactate drawn in emergency situations. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not it was necessary to obtain a lactate level in patients with a normal serum bicarbonate level and anion gap. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review evaluation of 304 patients who had serum lactate and electrolytes measured in an emergency setting in one academic medical center. RESULTS: In 66 patients who had elevated serum lactate (>2...

Endothelin (ET) is one of the most potent renal vasoconstrictors. Endothelin plays an essential role in the regulation of renal blood flow, glomerular filtration, sodium and water transport, and acid-base balance. ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3 are the three distinct endothelin isoforms comprising the endothelin family. ET-1 is the major physiologically relevant peptide and exerts its biological activity through two G-protein-coupled receptors: ET(A) and ET(B). Both ET(A) and ET(B) are expressed by the renal vasculature...

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is essentially characterized by normal anion gap and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. It is important to understand that despite knowing the disease for 60-70 years, complexities in the laboratory tests and their interpretation still make clinicians cautious to diagnose and label types of tubular disorder. Hence, we are writing this mini-review to emphasize on the step wise approach to RTA with some understanding on its basic etiopathogenesis. This will definitely help to have an accurate interpretation of urine and blood reports in correlation with the clinical condition...

Metabolic pathways involved in lactate metabolism are important to understand the physiological response to exercise and the pathogenesis of prevalent diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Monocarboxylate transporters are being investigated as potential targets for diagnosis and therapy of these and other disorders. Glucose and alanine produce pyruvate which is reduced to lactate by lactate dehydrogenase in the cytoplasm without oxygen consumption. Lactate removal takes place via its oxidation to pyruvate by lactate dehydrogenase...

PURPOSE: Current guidelines and most trials do not consider elevated lactate (Lac) serum concentrations when grading sepsis severity. We therefore assessed the association of different types of circulatory dysfunction regarding presence of hyperlactatemia and need for vasopressor support with clinical presentation and outcome of sepsis. METHODS: In a secondary analysis of a prospective observational multicenter cohort study, 988 patients with severe sepsis were investigated regarding vasopressor support, Lac levels, and outcome...

INTRODUCTION: Although the prognostic value of persistent hyperlactatemia in septic shock is unequivocal, its physiological determinants are controversial. Particularly, the role of impaired hepatic clearance has been underestimated and is only considered relevant in patients with liver ischemia or cirrhosis. Our objectives were to establish whether endotoxemia impairs whole body net lactate clearance, and to explore a potential role for total liver hypoperfusion during the early phase of septic shock...

Acute non-anion gap metabolic acidosis, also termed hyperchloremic acidosis, is frequently detected in seriously ill patients. The most common mechanisms leading to this acid-base disorder include loss of large quantities of base secondary to diarrhea and administration of large quantities of chloride-containing solutions in the treatment of hypovolemia and various shock states. The resultant acidic milieu can cause cellular dysfunction and contribute to poor clinical outcomes. The associated change in the chloride concentration in the distal tubule lumen might also play a role in reducing the glomerular filtration rate...

INTRODUCTION: Hyperchloremic acidosis is frequent in critically ill patients. Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) may contribute to acidemia in the state of hyperchloremic acidosis, but the prevalence of RTA has never been studied in critically ill patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, type, and possible risk factors of RTA in critically ill patients using a physical-chemical approach. METHODS: This prospective, observational trial was conducted in a medical ICU of a university hospital...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of hypertonic saline (HS) treatment in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in animal models of cardiac arrest (CA). METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE data were retrieved from January 1st, 1966 to September 30th, 2014, and Wanfang data and CNKI were searched from January 1st, 1990 to September 30th, 2014 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding CPR intervention of CA animal models with HS. HS was intravenously infused at the initiation of CPR in HS group, without limiting its dosage or concentration...

We describe the protocolised use of 23.4% hypertonic saline solution (HTS) for intracranial hypertension in the context of traumatic brain injury in the paediatric population. This study represents the largest published data on the use of 23.4% HTS in the paediatric population. In this retrospective cohort, we focus on the efficacy, biochemical and metabolic consequences of 23.4% HTS administration in a Level 1 paediatric trauma centre. Mortality in the first seven days was 6% (2/32) with a mean intensive care unit length-of-stay of ten days (range 2 to 25, standard deviation [SD] 6)...

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to compare systolic blood pressure (sBP) over time in swine that have had 30% of their blood volume removed (Class III shock) and treated with intravenous (IV) whole blood or IV hydroxocobalamin, compared to nontreated control animals. METHODS: Thirty swine (45 to 55 kg) were anesthetized, intubated, and instrumented with continuous femoral and pulmonary artery pressure monitoring. Animals were hemorrhaged a total of 20 mL/kg over a 20-minute period...

PURPOSE: Occult hypoperfusion is associated with increased mortality in patients with sepsis. We sought to determine the practice patterns and outcomes of patients with sepsis-related occult hypoperfusion and introduce a potential method for risk stratification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective study of normotensive patients presenting to an urban tertiary care emergency department with lactate greater than or equal to 4 mmol/L and suspected infection...

Administering intravenous fluids to support the circulation in critically ill patients has been a mainstay of emergency medicine and critical care for decades, especially (but not exclusively) in patients with distributive or hypovolemic shock. However, in recent years, this automatic use of large fluid volumes is beginning to be questioned. Analysis from several large trials in severe sepsis and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome have shown independent links between volumes of fluid administered and outcome; conservative fluid strategies have also been associated with lower mortality in trauma patients...

BACKGROUND: Large positive sodium balances, independent of fluid balance, may lead to expanded extracellular fluid volumes and adverse clinical outcomes in the critically ill, including impaired oxygenation. OBJECTIVES: To estimate sodium and fluid balances in critically ill patients needing invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) for more than 48 hours and to evaluate the relationship between fluid balance, sodium balance and respiratory function (PaO2/FiO2 ratio and length of MV)...